Sunday May 12, 2013

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Lufa Farms: rooftop greenhouse

A couple of years ago, we told you about a new farm on the island of Montreal that's in an unusual place - a rooftop in the middle of an industrial park.

Lufa Farms occupy a 31,000-square-foot greenhouse on that roof in Cartierville-Ahuntsic.

They grow a wide variety of tomatoes, cucumbers, bell peppers, chili peppers, lettuce, chards and herbs - many of them less common varieties. The farm is hydroponic -- meaning the plants grow in water, without soil. And they deliver their baskets of produce to a hundred or so drop-off points in Montreal so you get it as fresh as possible.

Lufa Farms give regular guided tours around the greenhouse, and there are several today in English, all through the day. (Since it's Mother's Day, there's a basket of produce to win! Take your mom.)

Lauren Rathmell is the greenhouse director, and one of founding members of Lufa Farms.